2015 was an exciting year! We worked to expand access to integrative healthcare for communities in need, designed programs to support new mothers, expanded awareness of clean energy initiatives in New York, and so much more. We connected with inspiring individuals who are working to change the world every day. We made big internal changes (that we’re excited to share with you in 2016!). And, perhaps most importantly, we learned a lot.
Along the way, we’ve been sure to share many of our takeaways with you via our blog. As 2015 comes to a close and you’re kicking of 2016, be sure to check out the posts below to find insights on the subjects (both personal and professional) that are most relevant to you!
Start with Yourself
This year, we learned a lot about the importance of taking time for self-care and self-improvement. The positive effects of taking care of yourself extend to all areas of your life -- from mental health to workplace effectiveness. Self-improvement looks different for each individual, and can encompass anything from taking time off, to making more responsible purchasing decisions, to educating yourself about things that matter to you. To help you get started, here’s some of what we’ve learned:
- Let’s Talk About Mental Health
- Teach Yourself a Lesson with These Free Online Courses
- The Power of “No”
- Want to Stay on Top of Your Game? Subscribe to These Newsletters
- Your Eco-Friendly & Cruelty-Free Guide to Winter Gear
- How to Point Yourself in a New & Impactful Career Direction
- The Ultimate Social Impact Reading List
- 4 Ways to Better Care for Yourself
Learn from the Experts
We believe one of the best ways to learn about social impact is by example. This year, we’ve been lucky enough to connect with and learn from innovative and effective leaders from nonprofits, social enterprises, and corporations. Here’s a bit of what we’ve learned:
- Work Hard & Be Nice: How Askinosie Chocolate is Changing the World
- Enjoy the Process: How Workshop Chicago Is Building a Community
- Start With Passion: How pilotED is Changing Education in Chicago
- Empower the People: How St. Luke is Making an Impact in Haiti
- Building Intentional Communities: How Levi Baer is Bringing People Together
- Just Jump: How Yellow Tractor is Empowering Change Through Gardening
- WhyWhisper's Founder on The Huffington Post: How to Use Business to Address Domestic Violence
- Behind-the-Scenes: Building a Business that's Focused on "Better"
Share Your Message
One of our focus areas at WhyWhisper is helping nonprofits and socially conscious businesses spread the word about their work. From developing voice and messaging guidelines to implementing an effective social media strategy and beyond, there are so many ways you can ensure that people know about the impact you’re making. If you’re looking for tips, start here:
- Which Social Media Platforms Are Right for You?
- 5 Ways to Step Up Your Hashtag Game
- Why You Need a Social Media Strategy
- 5 Reasons Why You Should be Blogging
- How to Get Social on Social Media
- Marketing: When You Should (& Should Not) Work With an Outside Firm
- How to Implement an Effective Content Strategy
- The Art of Efficient Social Media Management
- Developing Your Brand's Voice & Messaging Guidelines
Think About Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
The concept of building social impact into existing business models is on the rise, and we couldn’t be more excited about it. Businesses and corporations can make significant headway in addressing social issues, and we look forward to seeing (and helping) more of you follow suit next year. If you’re interested in learning more about CSR, here’s some of what we’ve shared this past year:
- 5 Reasons to Implement an Employee Wellness Program
- Corporate Social Responsibility: How Starbucks is Making an Impact
- How to Be Authentic About Social Responsibility
- CSR Strategy: 4 Questions to Get You Started
- 6 Resources for Staying Informed About CSR
- CSR Spotlight: Ben & Jerry’s + New Belgium Partner for Climate Change
- The Unusual Suspects: 5 Big Companies That Are Doing Good
Increase Your Impact
We’re constantly exploring ways that organizations and businesses can make internal changes that have a positive effect on their workplaces and on the world. Here’s some of what we’ve learned:
- Why Compassion & Fairness Are Critical in Business
- Better Businesses? Here's Why and How
- How You Can Make A Sustainable Impact with the Hybrid Model
- Want to Change the World? Start with Your Workplace
- Inc.com Features WhyWhisper's Founder on Strategies for Social Impact
- How Can We Improve Mental Health in the Workplace?
Take Action
We’re also always looking for ways to help our community bridge the gap between caring about a particular issue and actually taking action. When you’re short on resources, or don’t really know where to get started, it can be tough to make moves. We’ve put together a number of posts about how you can take action around different issues – and some are as easy as talking about the issues online! Check them out:
- Join the Fight Against Human Trafficking
- Fight for Gender Equality
- 4 Unique Ways to Get More Sustainable This Earth Day
- Our 8 Favorite Social Impact Apps
- #BeingBetter Checklist: 10 Ways to Live More Sustainably Right Now
- Join the Kindness Movement
- Take a Stand for Human Rights
Words of Wisdom for Freelancers
At WhyWhisper, we set out to build a different kind of work structure. As such, our team is comprised of consultants who work remotely and independently, taking on projects that are personally meaningful with teammates who support and inspire. But freelancing has its own challenges, and we’ve learned a lot along the way:
- The Freelancer’s Guide to 2015
- The Pros & Cons of Freelancing
- Our Tips for Working On-the-Go This Summer
What’s your biggest learning from 2015? We’d love to hear about it, and share with our community. Here’s how to get in touch:
Happy New Year to our incredible community! We’re so lucky to learn from you every day, and can’t wait for all that we’ll do together this year. Feel free to connect with us anytime – we love to hear from you.